Journal articles on the topic 'Fluorescence – Essais'

As reservas de terras raras no Brasil são re-avaliadas. Terras raras podem ser obtidas como subproduto da extração de nióbio, tântalo e estanho. As principais aplicações de terras raras são discutidas. Entres essas aplicações encontram-se ímãs, fósforos luminescentes e catálise. Uma das aplicações de maior demanda em volume são ímãs NdPrFeB para turbinas gigantes de energia eólica. Lâmpadas fluorescentes estão sendo substituídas por lâmpadas de LED, reduzindo a demanda por Európio.

As lâmpadas foram desenvolvidas da tecnologia incandescente, para a fluorescente e para o diodo emissor de luz (LED), o que aumentou a eficiência na conversão da iluminação e estendeu a vida útil do produto, consequentemente ocasionando na diminuição dos impactos ambientais. No entanto, a melhoria da fase de uso das lâmpadas, exige um sistema de produção mais complexo, incluindo (por vezes) materiais perigosos, o que piorou também sua disposição final. Estudos de Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida (ACV) são desenvolvidos desde 1996 envolvendo lâmpadas, e agora, com a evolução da tecnologia, as comparações estão ficando mais comuns. Esses estudos geram resultados variados, em que a unidade funcional (UF) desempenha um papel fundamental para gerar essas diferenças, mesmo quando os sistemas de produto são semelhantes, dificultando a compreensão das comparações. O objetivo deste artigo é analisar a produção científica de ACVs de lâmpadas, desenvolvendo um panorama dos sistemas de produto e suas definições de UF, bem como dos resultados, para indicar tendências e padrões da aplicação neste tema. A metodologia proposta foi de uma revisão integrativa da literatura aplicada a bases de dados científicos e outros documentos. A pesquisa identificou 16 artigos, onde ficou evidente o recente aumento dos estudos de ACVs comparativos. Nesta amostragem foram encontradas quatro diferentes definições de UF. Contudo, uma descrição complementar do desempenho do produto permite equalizar a UF numa base comum, em que os valores para a mudança climática têm mostrado que as lâmpadas LED são preferíveis às lâmpadas fluorescentes, que são preferíveis às incandescentes. Embora a comparação tenha sido possível, a UF deve ser claramente indicada para representar a função dos produtos, neste caso: a quantidade de lúmen.horas. Resumen Las lámparas se han desarrollado a partir de la tecnología incandescente, fluorescente, y un diodo emisor de luz (LED), lo que significa un aumento de la eficiencia de conversión de luz, que extiende la vida útil del producto y reduce así el impacto ambiental. Sin embargo, mejorar la fase de uso de las lámparas requiere un sistema de producción más complejo, incluyendo (a veces) materiales peligrosos, lo que empeora la disposición final. La Análisis del Ciclo de Vida (ACV) se ha dirigido a las lámparas desde 1996, y ahora con su evolución, las comparaciones son cada vez más comunes. Estos estudios llevan a resultados diferentes, donde la unidad funcional (UF) tiene un papel clave para la generación de estas diferencias, mismo cuando los sistemas de productos son similares, lo que dificultaría la comprensión general de las comparaciones. El objetivo fue analizar la producción científica de ACV de lámparas, el desarrollo de un marco de sistemas de productos, la definición de UF y los resultados para indicar tendencias y normas de aplicación de la metodología del ACV, incluyendo las posibilidades de comparabilidad. La metodología propuesta fue una revisión integrativa de la literatura aplicada a bases de datos científicas y análisis de contenido de documentos adicionales. La investigación identificó 16 artículos, donde está claro el reciente aumento en los estudios comparativos de ACV dirigidos a las tecnologías de iluminación. Había 4 diferentes definiciones de UF en los documentos. Sin embargo, la descripción adicional del rendimiento del producto permite equiparar el UF a una base común, donde los valores para el cambio climático han demostrado que las lámparas LED son mejores que las fluorescentes, que a su vez son preferibles que las incandescentes. Aunque esto podría ser posible, UF debe estar siempre claramente indicado y representar la función de los productos, en este caso la cantidad lúmen.hora de una lámpara Abstract Lamps have been developed since incandescent technology, to fluorescent and light emitted diode (LED), increasing lighting conversion efficiency, extending product’s life span, and, consequently, decreasing environmental impacts. However, improving the use phase of lamps demand a more complex production system, including (sometimes) hazardous materials, what have worsened final disposal as well. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been addressed to lamps since 1996, and now with its evolution, comparisons are getting more common. These studies lead to different results, wherein functional unit (FU) plays a key role to generate these differences, even when product systems are similar, making difficult the overall understanding of comparisons. We aimed to analyze the scientific production of LCA of lamps, developing a framework of the product systems, the FU definition and the results to indicate trends and patterns of the LCA methodology application, including comparison possibilities. The proposed methodology was an integrative literature review applied to scientific databases and further papers content analysis. The survey identified 16 papers, where it is clear the recent increase on comparative LCA studies addressed to lighting technologies. There were 4 different FU definitions in papers. However, complementary description of product performance enable one to equalize FU into a common basis, wherein values for climate change have shown that LED lamps are preferable than fluorescents, that are preferable than incandescent. Even though this was possible, FU should be clearly indicated and represent products function, in this case: an amount of lumen-hour.

Apesar de existirem marcadores moleculares mais específicos, os marcadores microssatélites apresentam grande potencialidade de utilização na área de plantas daninhas devido à sua crescente disponibilização em outras espécies e à qualidade das informações proporcionadas. O uso convencional dos marcadores moleculares microssatélites demanda grande quantidade de trabalho e recursos financeiros. O objetivo deste trabalho foi descrever a técnica da cauda fluorescente como forma de otimização da utilização de marcadores moleculares microssatélites, utilizando como exemplo um estudo de identificação de híbridos entre arroz-vermelho e cultivado. Foram utilizadas como modelo plantas de arroz cultivado, arroz-vermelho e o híbrido originado do cruzamento artificial dessas plantas. A técnica da cauda fluorescente consiste na síntese do iniciador forward com a sequência desejada e a adição da sequência de um iniciador universal, que corresponde à chamada cauda. A detecção da amplificação é realizada em equipamento de eletroforese capilar automatizada, através da utilização de um iniciador universal sintetizado com fluoróforo. O sistema desenvolvido foi eficiente na identificação da hibridização entre arroz cultivado e vermelho e apresenta viabilidade de utilização, por exemplo, em estudos de fluxo gênico da resistência a herbicidas e de caracteres relacionados à adaptação diferencial entre essas plantas. A técnica da cauda fluorescente possibilitou o uso de diversos marcadores moleculares a partir de um único marcador fluorescente e viabilizou a realização das análises em multiplex. O aumento da disponibilidade e do conhecimento de técnicas moleculares pode proporcionar melhor elucidação em vários estudos relacionados a espécies de plantas daninhas que possuem pouca disponibilidade de marcadores moleculares específicos.

Programas de eletrificação rural em áreas isoladas, implantados com base em instalações fotovoltaicas e tradicionais, introduziriam um novo fator antrópico, que levantam suspeitas de associação à transmissão de doenças por culicídeos. Para testar atratividade de mosquitos por diferentes tipos de lâmpadas, foram utilizadas duas armadilhas tipo New Jersey, uma com lâmpada incandescente de 40 watts, e a outra, provida de bulbo fluorescente, compacta e com reator eletrônico de cor de igual intensidade luminosa, de 9 watts, com luz de temperatura de 6.200 K. Essas armadilhas operaram em duas áreas, em tempo e locais padronizados, totalizando 11 coletas, no período de janeiro a abril de 2002. Os resultados mostram que a lâmpada fluorescente atraiu 1,3 vezes mais culicídeos em relação à incandescente nas duas áreas. Foram coletados no total 806 espécimes, destacando-se: Aedes albopictus Skuse, 1894, Ochlerotatus scapularis (Rondani, 1848), Anopheles albitarsis Lynch Arribálzaga, 1878, Culex (Culex) nigripalpus Theobald, 1901, entre outros. Sugere-se que sejam realizados estudos antes da efetivação de programas de eletrificação rural para avaliar as conseqüências epidemiológicas desses empreendimentos.

The present work was performed in São Fidélis/BR, technologically characterizing four types of soil. Aiming to use them in artistic ceramic, some of their properties were determined, such as the analysis of color after burn. In order to do so, essays regarding their granulometry (sifting and sedimentation), specific gravity, chemical analysis of xray fluorescence, mineralogical identification through x-ray diffraction (DRX), differential thermal analysis (ATD), thermal gravimetric analysis (TG) and scanning electron microscopy (MEV) were carried out in the Laboratories of Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense (UENF).The soils were analyzed before drying at 110°C and after burn under temperatures of 750°C and 1,050°C. The analyses of results returned their physical, chemical and mineralogical compositions. Many variations of color could be observed after burn.

This work is intended to study the possibility of adding an amount of waste from iron mining in the ceramic mass. Clay and coal, from Vale do Paraiba, Sao Paulo, Brazil, were used in this research. These raw materials are used in the ceramic block manufacture. Clay and waste were analyzed by X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction, particle size, differential thermal and thermogravimetric analysis. Liquid limit and plasticity index tests were performed in order to determine the amount of waste that which should be used in the ceramic mass. After determining the amount of waste, all samples were uniaxially pressed and sintered at 900oC. Surface roughness measurements, apparent porosity and bulk density technique and three-point flexural tests were also performed to characterize the samples. The results showed that by adding the exact amount of waste, which was determined by the essays, it is possible to manufacture solid bricks.

La mesure de la matière organique biodégradable dans l'eau est déterminée à partir de tests biologiques qui reposent sur deux concepts. Le premier est basé sur le suivi de la croissance de souches pures ou d'une population bactérienne mixte dans un échantillon d'eau. Le maximum de croissance obtenu est converti en Carbone Organique facilement Assimilable (COA) et exprimé en µg de C eq. acétate/l en tenant compte du rendement de croissance de ces bactéries dans des solutions d'acétate de sodium. Le second repose sur le suivi de la décroissance du Carbone Organique Dissous (COD) dans un échantillon d'eau ensemencé par une flore bactérienne indigène des eaux (flore en suspension ou flore fixée sur des particules de sable). La matière organique biadégradée est exprimée sous forme de Carbone Organique Dissous Biodégradable (CODB). Des essais ont été réalisés sur différents types d'eau (eaux de rivière de la Seine, de l'Oise et de la Marne, eaux en cours de traitement de.potabilisation, eaux distribuées et eaux distillées) afin de mettre en évidence la relation existant entre la mesure du CODB en présence de bactéries fixées sur du sable et le maximum de croissance bactérienne enregistré dans les mêmes échantillons stérilisés puis réensemencés par des souches pures (Pseudomonas fluorescens P17, Pseudomonas fluorescens P17 + Spirillum NOX) ou par un inoculum mixte de bactéries indigènes de l'eau. Les résultats de cette étude mettent en évidence : - une relation entre le CODB et le maximum de croissance (Pseudomonas fluorescens P17) médiocre (r = 0,716 ; n = 28) pour des échantillons d'eau ensemencés par Pseudomonas fluorescens P17 seul (dénombrement en gélose); - une relation entre le CODB et le maximum de croissance (Pseudomonas fluorescens P17) améliorée (r = 0,850, n = 31) pour des échantillons ensemencés simultanément avec un mélange de Pseudomonas fluorescens P17 et Spirillum NOX (dénombrement en gélose); - une relation entre le CODB et le maximum de croissance (Spirillum NOX) très faible (r = 0,264 n = 31; corrélation non significative) pour des échantillons ensemencés simultanément avec un mélange de P17 + NOX (dénombrement en gélose);- le coefficient de corrélation entre le CODB et le COA (Pseudomonas fluorescens P17 + Spirillum NOX) est de 0.769 (n = 31) avec une équivalence de 140 µg de COA (eq. acétate) par mg de CODE lorsque P17 est utilisé isolément et 90 µg de COA (eq. acétate) par mg de CODB lorsque P17 et NOX sont utilisés simultanément; - la relation entre le CODB et le maximum de croissance (flore naturelle mixte) est par contre très satisfaisante (r = 0,943; e = 30) lorsque les dénombrements bactériens sont effectués par microscopie en épifluorescence (coloration à l'acridine orange). Le rendement de croissance est alors de 1,7.109 cellules pour 1 mg de CODB mesuré en présence de sable biologique. En conclusion, la mesure du CODB au moyen de bactéries fixées, originellement décrite pour évaluer l'efficacité des filières de traitement de potabilisation vis-à-vis de l'élimination de la Matière Organique Biodégradable permet aussi de prédire le potentiel de recroissance bactérienne (bactéries indigènes) de différents types d'eau.

ABSTRACT On January 18, 2000, approximately 340,000 gallons (1,300 m3) of marine fuel (MF-380) spilled into Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The spill originated from a leak in the pipeline from the PETROBRAS refinery to the oil terminal. This paper presents the results for the water column and sediment monitoring 10 days after the spill, including n-alkanes, unresolved complex mixture (UCM), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and toxicological essays. Chemical and toxicological monitoring of the water column was performed at 14 sampling stations throughout the impacted area in Guanabara Bay. The chemical analysis of PAHs by ultraviolet fluorescence showed results from <0.04–11.56 μg/L−1in chrysene equivalents. The toxicological essays for three species (Artemia sp., Mysidium gracile, and Vibrio fisheri, Microtox) indicate no acute effects for the water samples studied. To monitor sediments, 57 samples were collected from intertidal and sub tidal sites. For the 30 intertidal sediments, 73% contained PAHs (GC-MS) below 2 μg/g−1, 20% were in the range 2–5 μg/g−1, and only two stations (7%), located in the vicinity of the spill point, contained levels up to 20 μg/g−1. For the 27 subtidal sediments, results were in the range of 0.2–9.6 μg/g−1 for PAHs, 0.7–43.3 μg/g−1 for n-alkanes, and 17.8–1,250 μg/g−1 for UCM. The toxicological study for the sediments based on Vibrio fisheri (Microtox) indicated no acute toxicity effects. When comparing the post-spill results with previous hydrocarbon data, no significant impact was observed in sediments and water column because of the oil spill. There is, however, a significant background of chronic anthropogenic inputs to Guanabara Bay.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a compatibilidade entre rizobactérias biocontroladoras pré-selecionadas e o efeito de suas combinações sobre a queima-das-bainhas (Rhizoctonia solani), a meloidoginose (Meloidogyne graminicola) e a promoção de crescimento de plantas de arroz. A compatibilidade foi determinada pela antibiose. O efeito das combinações de isolados foi avaliado por microbiolização de sementes de arroz, cultivar El Paso L144, com suspensões das rizobactérias DFs185 (Pseudomonas synxantha), DFs223 (P. fluorescens), DFs306 (ainda não identificada), DFs416 e DFs418 (Bacillus sp.). Essas rizobactérias foram usadas isoladamente ou combinadas em arranjos de dois, três e quatro isolados. O isolado DFs223 não foi combinado com nenhum outro por ser incompatível com os demais isolados. Cinco combinações de rizobactérias (DFs185/418, DFs306/416, DFs306/418, DFs416/418, DFs185/306/418) e o isolado DFs306 destacaram-se por reduzir a reprodução de M. graminicola e promover o crescimento das plantas. A combinação DFs185/306 apresentou os melhores resultados quanto ao controle de R. solani e à promoção de crescimento. A combinação DFs306/416 proporcionou os melhores resultados para o controle das duas doenças.

<div>IUPAC’s vision statement declares that the Union advances the worldwide role of chemistry for the benefit of Mankind. And one of its long-range goals states “IUPAC will utilize its global perspective and network to contribute to the enhancement of chemistry education, the career development of young chemical scientists, and the public appreciation of chemistry”. In pursuit of this spirit, the Union established in 2000 the IUPAC Prize for Young Chemists and has been honoring since then outstanding young research chemists at the beginning of their careers by making annual awards.<br /><br />The prizes are given for the most outstanding Ph.D. theses in the area of the chemical sciences, as described in 1000-word essays. For details, please refer to <http://www.iupac.org/news/prize.html> (IUPAC Prizes for Young Chemists). IUPAC awards up to five prizes annually, each comprising USD 1000 and travel expenses to the next IUPAC Congress.<br /><br />As immediate Past President of IUPAC, I was honored to chair the prize selection committee of eminent chemists, who enjoyed reading essays of 47 applicants from 19 countries. The committee was extremely pleased to note the increase in the number of applicants to 47 from 29 last year. This increase is in excellent accord with IUPAC’s worldwide celebration of the International Year of Chemistry throughout this year. After critical evaluation of the originality and excellence of the essays and research results, the committee decided unanimously to award 2011 Prizes to the following six chemists:<br /><br /><b>Rubén D. Costa</b>, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain: “Theoretical and experimental study of light-emitting electrochemical cells based on ionic transition-metal complexes: From the molecule to the device”<br /><br /><b>William Donald</b>, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA: “Ion nanocalorimetry: Measuring absolute reduction potentials and investigating effects of water on electron solvation and ion fluorescence”<br /><br /><b>Matthew Macauley</b>, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada: “Insight into O-GlcNAc protein modification using chemical and biochemical tools”<br /><br /><b>Bozhi Tian</b>, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA: “Design, synthesis, and characterization of novel nanowire structures for photovoltaics and intracellular probes”<br /><br /><b>Sheng Xu</b>, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA: “Oxide nanowire arrays for energy sciences”<br /><br /><b>Chengqi Yi</b>, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA: “Probing the AlkB family DNA/RNA repair enzymes with a chemical disulphide cross-linking approach”<br /><br />All the awardees were invited to present posters on their research at the 43rd IUPAC World Chemistry Congress, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 30 July-6 August 2011. Upon IUPAC’s invitation, five of the six winners offered review papers on their research topics for consideration as publications in <i>Pure and Applied Chemistry (PAC)</i>. And the five refereed articles appear in this issue of <i>PAC</i>.<br /><br />Finally, it is an honor and a pleasure to congratulate each of the winners and their supervisors for winning the 2011 IUPAC Prize for Young Chemists. It is hoped that each of them will continue to contribute to a bright future for chemical sciences and technologies and to take active roles in IUPAC bodies in the future.<br /><br /><b>Jung-Il Jin</b><br />IUPAC Immediate Past President and Chair of the IUPAC Prize Selection Committee<br /><br /></div>

Abstract Endothelial cells (ECs) significantly influence the response of an organism to inflammation and infection. In the bone marrow, these cells form a major part of the bone marrow vascular niche, which regulates stem cell function and influences stem cell fate. The primary response to infection involves synthesis of immune-modulatory cytokines, such as interferon alpha (IFNα). We, and others, have shown that in contrast to the anti-proliferative effect of IFNα on hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in vitro, in vivo, IFNα induces cell cycle entry of quiescent HSCs (Essers et al. 2009). Given the contrasting outcome of in vitro and in vivo exposure of HSCs to IFNα, it is probable that niche cells and molecular maintenance signals from the niche are required for IFNα-induced activation of quiescent HSCs. Here, we now show that although interferon signaling itself in niche cells is not required for HSC activation, niche components do respond to IFNα stimulation. Of these, bone marrow ECs are rapidly and indirectly stimulated following IFNα treatment in vivo. The vascular system, lined by ECs, is a central primary responder following inflammatory insult with a multifaceted role, including transport of immune cells and promotion of a rapid return to homeostasis. We have found that IFNα stimulation in vivo results in an increased bone marrow vascularity, visualized by fluorescence imaging of cryo-sectioned murine femurs immunostained with the vascular basement membrane protein, laminin. IFNα-mediated activation of ECs involves the expression of key inflammatory and endothelial-stimulatory markers, including VE-cadherin and ESAM, and also an increased vascular leakiness in the bone marrow, demonstrated by the Evans blue assay. In accordance with this finding of vascular activation, we confirmed that VEGF, which is an established regulator of vascular dynamics, is rapidly up regulated in the bone marrow supernatant of treated mice. Furthermore, we can also demonstrate a key role for VEGF in our observed IFNα-mediated stimulation of ECs by abrogation of this activation using co-treatment with Avastin (bevacizumab) in vivo. We are now investigating the feedback from this activation of ECs on the hematopoietic system itself. In summary, these data indicate a rapid and indirect stimulation of the bone marrow vascular niche in an inflammatory setting. In addition, they support a previously undescribed cellular instruction from an activated hematopoietic system to a niche component. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Em maio de 2001, coletaram-se plantas de calêndula (<i>Calendula officinalis</i> L.), originárias de plantio comercial em Atibaia (SP), com sintomas de manchas foliares. Essas lesões, de cor parda ou quase preta, inicialmente puntiformes, grosseiramente circulares, rodeadas por halos amarelados, atingiam 2 a 3 mm de diâmetro. Quando em grande número, podia ocorrer-lhes o coalescimento, causando crestamento foliar, seca e morte da folha. Não raro, notava-se também retorcimento do limbo foliar em infecções via hidatódios, além de necrose e morte de botão floral. De amostras apresentando essa síndrome, isolaram-se bactérias gram-negativas, que produziram pigmento difusível, fluorescente em meio B de King. Testes de patogenicidade em hospedeiro homólogo reproduziram os sintomas da doença, de onde foi reisolada a bactéria. Os resultados dos testes LOPAT (- + - - +) permitiram enquadrar a bactéria em estudo no Grupo III das Pseudomonas fluorescentes, tendo sido identificada como <i>Pseudomonas cichorii</i>. Trata-se da primeira constatação dessa bactéria em calêndula no Brasil. Linhagem bacteriana encontra-se depositada na Coleção de Culturas do Instituto Biológico (IBSBF), sob o Nº 1696.

AbstractCoconut palm (Cocos nucifera) is a plant species recalcitrant to in vitro morphogenesis and no protocols for the genetic transformation of coconut tissues have been published. The present study aimed to develop a protocol for genetic transformation of this palm species; evaluating reporter genes, transformation methods, and conditions for the use of antibiotics to select transformed plant cells. The gene gusA was first used for Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation of coconut embryogenic calli. However, endogenous GUS-like activity was found in calli not co-cultured with bacteria. Then essays for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation were developed using green and red fluorescent genes. Both genes are suitable as reporter genes for coconut transformation. In order to establish a protocol for coconut genetic transformation, an approach was used that combined biobalistics to generate micro-wounds in explants, vacuum infiltration and co-culture with Agrobacterium tumefaciens (C58C1 + pER10W-35SRed containing the embryogenesis related gene WUSCHEL). Calli treated with the combined protocol showed red fluorescence with greater intensity and greater area than calli treated with either biobalistics or infiltration, followed by bacteria co-culture. PCR amplification of DNA extracts from transformed embryogenic callus produced a band with the expected size using WUSCHEL primers (862 bp). No band was obtained using the VirE2 primers. This is the first report of transient genetic transformation of C. nucifera and it is the first step toward a protocol that will be useful for the study of the role of genes of interest and for practical applications, such as the improvement of coconut micropropagation via somatic embryogenesis.

Nanopartículas semicondutoras com diâmetro variando de um a dez nanômetros tem sido objeto de grande atenção da comunidade científica. Essas partículas situam-se no regime de transição entre o sólido de bulk e suas moléculas e se mostram úteis no estudo de propriedades particularmente novas da matéria descritas pelo termo “efeito de quantização do tamanho” (Caruso, 2006).Síntese coloidal de nanopartículas em solventes apropriados é geralmente chamada de síntese “bottom up” (de baixo para cima). No estado atual, no qual se encontra a tecnologia, ainda é muito difícil alcançar essa ordem de grandeza no diâmetro das partículas por meio de técnicas “top down” (de cima para baixo), como técnicas baseadas em litografia, por exemplo. Utilizando rotas químicas bottom up, e possível obter diversas nanopartículas semicondutoras de alta qualidade numa escala de gramas, manuseáveis como produtos químicos ordinários e com potencial para serem utilizadas na criação de substratos para estruturas supramoleculares e dispositivos. Aqui, alta qualidade se refere a partículas do tamanho desejado, distribuição de tamanhos estreita, boa cristalinidade, funcionalização de superfície controlável e alta eficiência quântica de luminescência (Caruso, 2006).A qualidade de semicondutor de um macrocristal, o sólido de bulk, vem do arranjo dos átomos numa rede cristalina. A sobreposição dos orbitais atômicos transforma os níveis discretos de energia possíveis para um elétron em bandas contínuas separadas por uma banda proibida (bad gap). Quando excitado pela absorção de um fóton, um elétron na banda de valência salta para a banda de condução, deixando um “buraco” que age como uma carga positiva e sofre atração coulombiana com o elétron. O par elétron-buraco é chamado de éxciton (Caruso, 2006). Na escala em que se encontram as nanopartículas,cada uma delas é de tamanho comparável ao raio de Bohr do éxciton no sólido de bulk, dando origem a efeitos de confinamento quântico, onde as propriedades optoeletrônicas da partícula podem ser controladas alterando suas dimensões (Gerion, et al, 2001).Essas propriedades ajustáveis abrem espaço para diversas aplicações, em especial, aplicações biológicas (Farias, 2006). Visando ampliar os horizontes nessa área do conhecimento, foi desenvolvido um estudo teórico sobre as técnicas de síntese e caracterização de nanopartículas semicondutoras, visando a implantação de futuros projetos na área.

Prostate cancer diagnoses increase each year, and current treatment strategies cause disturbing levels of serious side effects. This has necessitated a search for new strategies to employ more targeted treatments for malignant tissues. One promising alternative therapy is the use of a chemotherapeutic-nanoparticle-aptamer bioconjugate. This method employs aptamers which target over-expressed proteins on cancerous cell surfaces and bind to individual prostate tumour cells with incredible affinity. Once bound, the bioconjugate is taken into the cell where it delivers a toxic payload of chemotherapeutics and destroys the cell by cytotoxic means. The bioconjugate therapy method is specific for cancerous cells which limits side-effects to non-target tissues. Fluorescent properties of some chemotherapeutic components and quantum dot nanoparticles can also provide imaging of these cancerous masses with extreme precision. Successful trials employing aptamers for targeted therapy demonstrate the promise of this technology for future chemotherapeutic applications. Additionally, aptamer conjugates are safer, less expensive, and potentially more effective substitutes to antibody-based targeting methods which are currently being explored as a competing option for this type of treatment.Les diagnostics de cancer de la prostate augmentent chaque année, et les traitements actuelles qui leurs sont associés sont responsable d’un niveau inquiétant de graves effets secondaires. Cela a nécessité une recherche de nouvelles stratégies dans le traitement plus ciblés des tissus malins. Une thérapie alternative prometteuse se présente dans l'utilisation d'un agent chimiothérapeutique-nanoparticule-aptamer-bioconjugate. Ce procédé engage des aptamères qui ciblent les protéines surexprimées sur la surface des cellules cancéreuses et s’attachent à des individuels cellules tumorales de la prostate avec une affinité épatante. Une fois lié, le bioconjugué s’introduit dans la cellule où il livre une charge toxique de médicaments chimiothérapeutiques ce qui résulte dans la destruction cytotoxique de la cellule cancéreuse. Le procédé de thérapie bioconjugué se dirige vers des cellules cancéreuses ainsi épargnant des effets secondaires le tissu non ciblé. Des propriétés fluorescentes de certains composants chimiothérapeutiques et de nanoparticules de points quantiques aussi aident à fournir des images de ces masses cancéreuses avec une précision importante. Des essais concluants employant des aptamères comme thérapie ciblée distinguent comme prometteuse cette technologie dans des applications chimiothérapeutiques futures. De plus, des conjugués aptamères se sont montrés plus sûrs, moins coûteux, et potentiellement plus efficaces que leurs compétiteurs en traitement à base d'anticorps qui sont actuellement explorés comme option.

O Programa Nacional de Profilaxia da Raiva tem como objetivo manter níveis imunogênicos protetores nos animais vacinados, com títulos de anticorpos neutralizantes (AcN) ≥ 0,5UI/mL. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar, de acordo com a idade, raça e o período entre a aplicação da vacina e a colheita do sangue, a resposta imunológica de cães que receberam dose única de vacina antivírus da raiva de cultivo celular. Neste estudo foram analisadas 432 amostras recebidas no Instituto Pasteur de São Paulo no triênio 2009-2011. Os dados foram analisados e a avaliação de AcN para o vírus da raiva foi realizada por meio do teste rápido de inibição de focos fluorescentes (RFFIT). Do total das amostras analisadas, 21,76% não possuíam títulos protetores. Dentre essas, 67,02% das amostras eram de filhotes e quando considerado o intervalo entre a data de aplicação da vacina e a colheita do sangue, 60,63% amostras não atingiram a titulação nos seis primeiros meses. Concluiu-se a partir do estudo desta amostragem a necessidade de uma segunda dose de vacina em filhotes, pois estes ficam mais suscetíveis à infecção pelo vírus da raiva, o que aumentaria a possibilidade de uma resposta rápida e duradoura.

This study discusses the results of the experimental application of high-content screening (HCS) techniques in evaluating the induction of cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis on human liver cancer cell line, Hep-G2. Accordingly, the bisbenzimide-stained cells (Hoechst 33342; 350 to 500 nM) were analyzed by using an Olympus scanˆR HCS-system to determine the cell-cycle phases (G1, S, and G2/M) and apoptosis as well. As a result, the cell-cycle arrest could be indicated by an increase in G2/M population of Hep-G2 cells after 24h exposure to zerumbone (Zer4; 9 µg/mL) and a similar observation could be made for paclitaxel (Pac; 4 µg/mL) as a reference substance. Keywords Apoptosis, cell-cycle arrest, high-content screening, human liver cancer cell line Hep-G2. References [1] D. Hanahan, R.A. Weinberg, Hallmarks of cancer: the next generation, Cell 144 (2011) 646–674.[2] M. Malumbres, M. Barbacid, Cell cycle, CDKs and cancer: a changing paradigm, Nat. Rev. Cancer 9 (2009) 153–166.[3] S. 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Introduction Lillian Ng was born in Singapore and lived in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom before migrating to Australia with her daughter and Ah Mah Yin Jie (“Ah Mahs are a special group of people who took a vow to remain unmarried … [so they] could stick together as a group and make a living together” (Yu 118)). Ng studied classical Chinese at home, then went to an English school and later on studied Medicine. Her first book, Silver Sister (1994), was short-listed for the inaugural Angus & Robertson/Bookworld Prize in 1993 and won the Human Rights Award in 1995. Ng defines herself as a “Chinese living in Australia” (Yu 115). Food, flesh and meat are recurrent topics in Lillian Ng´s second novel Swallowing Clouds, published in 1997. These topics are related to desire and can be used as a synecdoche (a metaphor that describes part/whole relations) of the human body: food is needed to survive and pleasure can be obtained from other people´s bodies. This paper focuses on one type of meat and animal, pork and the pig, and on the relation between the two main characters, Syn and Zhu Zhiyee. Syn, the main character in the novel, is a Shanghainese student studying English in Sydney who becomes stranded after the Tiananmen Square massacre of June 1989. As she stops receiving money from her mother and fears repression if she goes back to China, she begins to work in a Chinese butcher shop, owned by Zhu Zhiyee, which brings her English lessons to a standstill. Syn and Zhu Zhiyee soon begin a two-year love affair, despite the fact that Zhu Zhiyee is married to KarLeng and has three daughters. The novel is structured as a prologue and four days, each of which has a different setting and temporal location. The prologue introduces the story of an adulterous woman who was punished to be drowned in a pig´s basket in the HuanPu River in the summer of 1918. As learnt later on, Syn is the reincarnation of this woman, whose purpose in life is to take revenge on men by taking their money. The four days, from the 4th to the 7th of June 1994, mark the duration of a trip to Beijing and Shanghai that Syn takes as member of an Australian expedition in order to visit her mother with the security of an Australian passport. During these four days, the reader learns about different Chinese landmarks, such as the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Ming Tomb and the Summer Palace, as well as some cultural events, such as a Chinese opera and eating typical foods like Peking duck. However, the bulk of the plot of the book deals with the sexual relationship, erotic games and fantasies of Syn and Zhu Zhiyee in the period between 1989 and 1992, as well as Syn´s final revenge in January 1993. Pigs The fact that Zhu Zhiyee is a butcher allows Lillian Ng to include references to pigs and pork throughout the novel. Some of them refer to the everyday work of a butcher shop, as the following examples illustrate: “Come in and help me with the carcass,” he [Zhu Zhiyee] pointed to a small suckling pig hung on a peg. Syn hesitated, not knowing how to handle the situation. “Take the whole pig with the peg,” he commanded (11).Under dazzling fluorescent tubes and bright spotlights, trays of red meat, pork chops and lamb cutlets sparkled like jewels … The trays edged with red cellophane frills and green underlay breathed vitality and colour into the slabs of pork ribs and fillets (15).Buckets of pig´s blood with a skim of froth took their place on the floor; gelled ones, like sliced cubes of large agate, sat in tin trays labelled in Chinese. More discreetly hidden were the gonads and penises of goats, bulls and pigs. (16)These examples are representative of Syn and Zhu Zhiyee´s relationship. The first quotation deals with their interaction: most of the time Zhu Zhiyee orders Syn how to act, either in the shop or in bed. The second extract describes the meat’s “vitality” and this is the quality of Syn's skin that mesmerised Zhu when he met her: “he was excited, electrified by the sight of her unblemished, translucent skin, unlined, smooth as silk. The glow of the warmth of human skin” (13). Moreover, the lights seem to completely illuminate the pieces of meat and this is the way Zhu Zhiyee leers at Syn´s body, as it can be read in the following extract: “he turned again to fix his gaze on Syn, which pierced and penetrated her head, her brain, eyes, permeated her whole body, seeped into her secret places and crevices” (14). The third excerpt introduces the sexual organs of some of the animals, which are sold to some customers for a high price. Meat is also sexualised by Zhu Zhiyee´s actions, such as his pinching the bottoms of chickens and comparing them with “sacrificial virgins”: “chickens, shamelessly stripped and trussed, hung by their necks, naked in their pimply white skin, seemed like sacrificial virgins. Syn often caught Zhu pinching their fleshy bottoms, while wrapping and serving them to the housewives” (15-16). Zhu also makes comments relating food with sex while he is having lunch next to Syn, which could be considered sexual harassment. All these extracts exemplify the relationship between Syn and Zhu Zhiyee: the orders, the looks and the implicit sexuality in the quotidian activities in the butcher´s shop. There are also a range of other expressions that include similes with the word `pig´ in Ng´s novel. One of the most recurrent is comparing the left arm and hand of Zhu Zhiyee´s mother with a “pig´s trotter”. Zhu Zhiyee´s mother is known as ZhuMa and Syn is very fond of her, as ZhuMa accepts her and likes her more than her own daughter-in-law. The comparison of ZhuMa´s arm and hand with a trotter may be explained by the fact that ZhuMa´s arm is swollen but also by the loving representation of pigs in Chinese culture. As Seung-Og Kim explains in his article “Burials, Pigs, and Political Prestige in Neolithic China”: In both Melanesia and Asia, pigs are viewed as a symbolic representation of human beings (Allen 1976: 42; Healey 1985; Rappaport 1967: 58; Roscoe 1989: 223-26). Piglets are treated as pets and receive a great deal of loving attention, and they in turn express affection for their human “parents.” They also share some physiological features with human beings, being omnivorous and highly reproductive (though humans do not usually have multiple litters) and similar internal anatomy (Roscoe 1989: 225). In short, pigs not only have a symbiotic relationship with humans biologically but also are of great importance symbolically (121). Consequently, pigs are held in high esteem, taken care of and loved. Therefore, comparing a part of a human´s body, such as an arm or a hand, for example, to a part of a pig´s body such as a pig´s trotter is not negative, but has positive connotations. Some descriptions of ZhuMa´s arm and hand can be read in the following excerpts: “As ZhuMa handed her the plate of cookies Syn saw her left arm, swollen like a pig´s trotter” (97); “Syn was horrified, and yet somewhat intrigued by this woman without a breast, with a pig´s trotter arm and a tummy like a chessboard” (99), “mimicking the act of writing with her pig-trotter hand” (99), and ZhuMa was praising the excellence of the opera, the singing, acting, the costumes, and the elaborate props, waving excitedly with her pig trotter arm and pointing with her stubby fingers while she talked. (170) Moreover, the expression “pig´s trotters” is also used as an example of the erotic fetishism with bound feet, as it can be seen in the following passage, which will be discussed below: I [Zhu Zhiyee] adore feet which are slender… they seem so soft, like pig´s trotters, so cute and loving, they play tricks on your mind. Imagine feeling them in bed under your blankets—soft cottonwool lumps, plump and cuddly, makes you want to stroke them like your lover´s hands … this was how the bound feet appealed to men, the erotic sensation when balanced on shoulders, clutched in palms, strung to the seat of a garden swing … no matter how ugly a woman is, her tiny elegant feet would win her many admirers (224).Besides writing about pigs and pork as part of the daily work of the butcher shop and using the expression “pig´s trotter”, “pig” is also linked to money in two sentences in the book. On the one hand, it is used to calculate a price and draw attention to the large amount it represents: “The blouse was very expensive—three hundred dollars, the total takings from selling a pig. Two pigs if he purchased two blouses” (197). On the other, it works as an adjective in the expression “piggy-bank”, the money box in the form of a pig, an animal that represents abundance and happiness in the Chinese culture: “She borrowed money from her neighbours, who emptied pieces of silver from their piggy-banks, their life savings”(54). Finally, the most frequent porcine expression in Ng´s Swallowing Clouds makes reference to being drowned in a pig´s basket, which represents 19 of the 33 references to pigs or pork that appear in the novel. The first three references appear in the prologue (ix, x, xii), where the reader learns the story of the last woman who was killed by drowning in a pig´s basket as a punishment for her adultery. After this, two references recount a soothsayer´s explanation to Syn about her nightmares and the fact that she is the reincarnation of that lady (67, 155); three references are made by Syn when she explains this story to Zhu Zhiyee and to her companion on the trip to Beijing and Shanghai (28, 154, 248); one refers to a feeling Syn has during sexual intercourse with Zhu Zhiyee (94); and one when the pig basket is compared to a cricket box, a wicker or wooden box used to carry or keep crickets in a house and listen to them singing (73). Furthermore, Syn reflects on the fact of drowning (65, 114, 115, 171, 172, 173, 197, 296) and compares her previous death with that of Concubine Pearl, the favourite of Emperor Guanxu, who was killed by order of his aunt, the Empress Dowager Cixi (76-77). The punishment of drowning in a pig´s basket can thus be understood as retribution for a transgression: a woman having an extra-marital relationship, going against the establishment and the boundaries of the authorised. Both the woman who is drowned in a pig´s basket in 1918 and Syn have extra-marital affairs and break society’s rules. However, the consequences are different: the concubine dies and Syn, her reincarnation, takes revenge. Desire, Transgression and Eroticism Xavier Pons writes about desire, repression, freedom and transgression in his book Messengers of Eros: Representations of Sex in Australian Writing (2009). In this text, he explains that desire can be understood as a positive or as a negative feeling. On the one hand, by experiencing desire, a person feels alive and has joy de vivre, and if that person is desired in return, then, the feelings of being accepted and happiness are also involved (13). On the other hand, desire is often repressed, as it may be considered evil, anarchic, an enemy of reason and an alienation from consciousness (14). According to Pons: Sometimes repression, in the form of censorship, comes from the outside—from society at large, or from particular social groups—because of desire´s subversive nature, because it is a force which, given a free rein, would threaten the higher purpose which a given society assigns to other (and usually ideological) forces … Repression may also come from the inside, via the internalization of censorship … desire is sometimes feared by the individual as a force alien to his/her true self which would leave him/her vulnerable to rejection or domination, and would result in loss of freedom (14).Consequently, when talking about sexual desire, the two main concepts to be dealt with are freedom and transgression. As Pons makes clear, “the desiring subject can be taken advantage of, manipulated like a puppet [as h]is or her freedom is in this sense limited by the experience of desire” (15). While some practices may be considered abusive, such as bondage or sado-masochism, they may be deliberately and freely chosen by the partners involved. In this case, these practices represent “an encounter between equals: dominance is no more than make-believe, and a certain amount of freedom (as much as is compatible with giving oneself up to one´s fantasies) is maintained throughout” (24). Consequently, the perception of freedom changes with each person and situation. What is transgressive depends on the norms in every culture and, as these evolve, so do the forms of transgression (Pons 43). Examples of transgressions can be: firstly, the separation of sex from love, adultery or female and male homosexuality, which happen with the free will of the partners; or, secondly, paedophilia, incest or bestiality, which imply abuse. Going against society’s norms involves taking risks, such as being discovered and exiled from society or feeling isolated as a result of a feeling of difference. As the norms change according to culture, time and person, an individual may transgress the rules and feel liberated, but later on do the same thing and feel alienated. As Pons declares, “transgressing the rules does not always lead to liberation or happiness—transgression can turn into a trap and turn out to be simply another kind of alienation” (46). In Swallowing Clouds, Zhu Zhiyee transgresses the social norms of his time by having an affair with Syn: firstly, because it is extra-marital, he and his wife, KarLeng, are Catholic and fidelity is one of the promises made when getting married; and, secondly, because he is Syn´s boss and his comments and ways of flirting with her could be considered sexual harassment. For two years, the affair is an escape from Zhu Zhiyee´s daily worries and stress and a liberation and fulfillment of his sexual desires. However, he introduces Syn to his mother and his sisters, who accept her and like her more than his wife. He feels trapped, though, when KarLeng guesses and threatens him with divorce. He cannot accept this as it would mean loss of face in their neighbourhood and society, and so he decides to abandon Syn. Syn´s transgression becomes a trap for her as Zhu, his mother and his sisters have become her only connection with the outside world in Australia and this alienates her from both the country she lives in and the people she knows. However, Syn´s transgression also turns into a trap for Zhu Zhiyee because she will not sign the documents to give him the house back and every month she sends proof of their affair to KarLeng in order to cause disruption in their household. This exposure could be compared with the humiliation suffered by the concubine when she was paraded in a pig´s basket before she was drowned in the HuangPu River. Furthermore, the reader does not know whether KarLeng finally divorces Zhu Zhiyee, which would be his drowning and loss of face and dishonour in front of society, but can imagine the humiliation, shame and disgrace KarLeng makes him feel every month. Pons also depicts eroticism as a form of transgression. In fact, erotic relations are a power game, and seduction can be a very effective weapon. As such, women can use seduction to obtain power and threaten the patriarchal order, which imposes on them patterns of behaviour, language and codes to follow. However, men also use seduction to get their own benefits, especially in political and social contexts. “Power has often been described as the ultimate aphrodisiac” (Pons 32) and this can be seen in many of the sexual games between Syn and Zhu Zhiyee in Swallowing Clouds, where Zhu Zhiyee is the active partner and Syn becomes little more than an object that gives pleasure. A clear reference to erotic fetishism is embedded in the above-mentioned quote on bound feet, which are compared to pig´s trotters. In fact, bound feet were so important in China in the millennia between the Song Dynasty (960-1276) and the early 20th century that “it was impossible to find a husband” (Holman) without them: “As women’s bound feet and shoes became the essence of feminine beauty, a fanatical aesthetic and sexual mystique developed around them. The bound foot was understood to be the most intimate and erotic part of the female anatomy, and wives, consorts and prostitutes were chosen solely on the size and shape of their feet” (Holman). Bound feet are associated in Ng’s novel with pig´s trotters and are described as “cute and loving … soft cottonwool lumps, plump and cuddly, [that] makes you want to stroke them like your lover´s hands” (224). This approach towards bound feet and, by extension, towards pig´s trotters, can be related to the fond feelings Melanesian and Asian cultures have towards piglets, which “are treated as pets and receive a great deal of loving attention” (Kim 121). Consequently, the bound feet can be considered a synecdoche for the fond feelings piglets inspire. Food and Sex The fact that Zhu Zhiyee is a butcher and works with different types of meat, including pork, that he chops it, sells it and gives cooking advice, is not gratuitous in the novel. He is used to being in close proximity to meat and death and seeing Syn’s pale skin through which he can trace her veins excites him. Her flesh is alive and represents, therefore, the opposite of meat. He wants to seduce her, which is human hunting, and he wants to study her, to enjoy her body, which can be compared to animals looking at their prey and deciding where to start eating from. Zhu´s desire for Syn seems destructive and dangerous. In the novel, bodies have a price: dead animals are paid for and eaten and their role is the satiation of human hunger. But humans, who are also animals, have a price as well: flesh is paid for, in the form of prostitution or being a mistress, and its aim is satiation of human sex. Generally speaking, sex in the novel is compared to food either in a direct or an indirect way, and making love is constantly compared to cooking, the preparation of food and eating (as in Pons 303). Many passages in Swallowing Clouds have cannibalistic connotations, all of these being used as metaphors for Zhu Zhiyee’s desire for Syn. As mentioned before, desire can be positive (as it makes a person feel alive) or negative (as a form of internal or social censorship). For Zhu Zhiyee, desire is positive and similar to a drug he is addicted to. For example, when Zhu and Syn make delivery rounds in an old Mazda van, he plays the recordings he made the previous night when they were having sex and tries to guess when each moan happened. Sex and Literature Pons explains that “to write about sex … is to address a host of issues—social, psychological and literary—which together pretty much define a culture” (6). Lillian Ng´s Swallowing Clouds addresses a series of issues. The first of these could be termed ‘the social’: Syn´s situation after the Tiananmen Massacre; her adulterous relationship with her boss and being treated and considered his mistress; the rapes in Inner Mongolia; different reasons for having an abortion; various forms of abuse, even by a mother of her mentally handicapped daughter; the loss of face; betrayal; and revenge. The second issue is the ‘psychological’, with the power relations and strategies used between different characters, psychological abuse, physical abuse, humiliation, and dependency. The third is the ‘literary’, as when the constant use of metaphors with Chinese cultural references becomes farcical, as Tseen Khoo notes in her article “Selling Sexotica” (2000: 164). Khoo explains that, “in the push for Swallowing Clouds to be many types of novels at once: [that is, erotica, touristic narrative and popular], it fails to be any one particularly successfully” (171). Swallowing Clouds is disturbing, full of stereotypes, and with repeated metaphors, and does not have a clear readership and, as Khoo states: “The explicit and implicit strategies behind the novel embody the enduring perceptions of what exotic, multicultural writing involves—sensationalism, voyeuristic pleasures, and a seemingly deliberate lack of rooted-ness in the Australian socioscape (172). Furthermore, Swallowing Clouds has also been defined as “oriental grunge, mostly because of the progression throughout the narrative from one gritty, exoticised sexual encounter to another” (Khoo 169-70).Other novels which have been described as “grunge” are Edward Berridge´s Lives of the Saints (1995), Justine Ettler´s The River Ophelia (1995), Linda Jaivin´s Eat Me (1995), Andrew McGahan´s Praise (1992) and 1988 (1995), Claire Mendes´ Drift Street (1995) or Christos Tsiolkas´ Loaded (1995) (Michael C). The word “grunge” has clear connotations with “dirtiness”—a further use of pig, but one that is not common in the novel. The vocabulary used during the sexual intercourse and games between Syn and Zhu Zhiyee is, however, coarse, and “the association of sex with coarseness is extremely common” (Pons 344). Pons states that “writing about sex is an attempt to overcome [the barriers of being ashamed of some human bodily functions], regarded as unnecessarily constrictive, and this is what makes it by nature transgressive, controversial” (344-45). Ng´s use of vocabulary in this novel is definitely controversial, indeed, so much so that it has been defined as banal or even farcical (Khoo 169-70).ConclusionThis paper has analysed the use of the words and expressions: “pig”, “pork” and “drowning in a pig’s basket” in Lillian Ng´s Swallowing Clouds. Moreover, the punishment of drowning in a pig’s basket has served as a means to study the topics of desire, transgression and eroticism, in relation to an analysis of the characters of Syn and Zhu Zhiyee, and their relationship. This discussion of various terminology relating to “pig” has also led to the study of the relationship between food and sex, and sex and literature, in this novel. Consequently, this paper has analysed the use of the term “pig” and has used it as a springboard for the analysis of some aspects of the novel together with different theoretical definitions and concepts. Acknowledgements A version of this paper was given at the International Congress Food for Thought, hosted by the Australian Studies Centre at the University of Barcelona in February 2010. References Allen, Bryan J. Information Flow and Innovation Diffusion in the East Sepic District, Papua New Guinea. PhD diss. Australian National University, Australia. 1976. Berridge, Edward. Lives of the Saints. St Lucia: U of Queensland P, 1995. C., Michael. “Toward a sound theory of Australian Grunge fiction.” [Weblog entry] Eurhythmania. 5 Mar. 2008. 4 Oct. 2010 http://eurhythmania.blogspot.com/2008/03/toward-sound-theory-of-australian.html. Ettler, Justine. The River Ophelia. Sydney: Picador, 1995. Healey, Christopher J. “Pigs, Cassowaries, and the Gift of the Flesh: A Symbolic Triad in Maring Cosmology.” Ethnology 24 (1985): 153-65. Holman, Jeanine. “Bound Feet.” Bound Feet: The History of a Curious, Erotic Custom. Ed. Joseph Rupp 2010. 11 Aug. 2010. http://www.josephrupp.com/history.html. Jaivin, Linda. Eat Me. Melbourne: The Text Publishing Company, 1995. Khoo, Tseen. “Selling Sexotica: Oriental Grunge and Suburbia in Lillian Ngs’ Swallowing Clouds.” Diaspora: Negotiating Asian-Australian. Ed. Helen Gilbert, Tseen Khoo, and Jaqueline Lo. St Lucia: U of Queensland P, 2000. 164-72. Khoo, Tseen; Danau Tanu, and Tien. "Re: Of pigs and porks” 5-9 Aug. 1997. Asian- Australian Discussion List Digest numbers 1447-1450. Apr. 2010 . Kim, Seung-Og. “Burials, Pigs, and Political Prestige in Neolithic China.” Current Anthopology 35.2 (Apr. 1994): 119-141. McGahan, Andrew. Praise. Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 1992. McGahan, Andrew. 1988. Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 1995. Mendes, Clare. Drift Street. Pymble: HarperCollins, 1995. Ng, Lillian. Swallowing Clouds. Ringwood: Penguin Books Australia,1997. Pons, Xavier. Messengers of Eros. Representations of Sex in Australian Writing. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2009. Rappaport, Roy. Pigs for the Ancestors. New Have: Yale UP, 1967. Roscoe, Paul B. “The Pig and the Long Yam: The Expansion of the Sepik Cultural Complex”. Ethnology 28 (1989): 219-31. Tsiolkas, Christos. Loaded. Sydney: Vintage, 1995. Yu, Ouyang. “An Interview with Lillian Ng.” Otherland Literary Journal 7, Bastard Moon. Essays on Chinese-Australian Writing (July 2001): 111-24.

A slash manip is a photo remix that montages visual signs from popular media with those from gay pornography, creating a new cultural artefact. Slash (see Russ) is a fannish practice that homoeroticises the bonds between male media characters and personalities—female pairings are categorised separately as ‘femslash’. Slash has been defined almost exclusively as a female practice. While fandom is indeed “women-centred” (Bury 2), such definitions have a tendency to exclude male contributions. Remix has been well acknowledged in discussions on slash, most notably video remix in relation to slash vids (Kreisinger). Non-written slash forms such as slash vids (see Russo) and slash fanart (see Dennis) have received increased attention in recent years. This article continues the tradition of moving beyond fiction by considering the non-written form of slash manips, yet to receive sustained scholarly attention. Speaking as a practitioner—my slash manips can be found here—I perform textual analysis from an aca–fan (academic and fan) position of two Merlin slash manips by male Tumblr artist wandsinhand. My textual analysis is influenced by Barthes’s use of image semiotics, which he applies to the advertising image. Barthes notes that “all images are polysemous”, that underlying their signifiers they imply “a ‘floating chain’ of signifieds, the reader able to choose some and ignore others” (274). That said, the advertising image, he argues, constructs an “undoubtedly intentional […] signification”, making it ideally suited for analysis (270). By supplementing my analysis with excerpts from two interviews I conducted with wandsinhand in February and April 2013 (quoted here with permission), I support my readings with respect to the artist’s stated ‘intentional reading’. I then contextualise these readings with respect to canon (Merlin) representations and gay pornography—via the chosen sexual acts/positions, bukkake and doggystyle, of the pornographic base models, as selected by the artist. This approach allows me to examine the photo remix qualities of slash manips with respect to the artist’s intentions as well as how artistic choices of inclusion function to anchor meaning in the works. I describe these choices as the ‘semiotic significance of selection’. Together the readings and interviews in this article help illustrate the value of this form and the new avenues it opens for slash scholars, such as consideration of photo remix and male production, and the importance of gay pornography to slash. My interviews also reveal, via the artist’s own assessment of the ‘value’ of his practice, a tendency to devalue or overlook the significance of this particular slash form, affirming a real need for further critical engagement with this under-examined practice. Slash Photo Remix: Famous Faces, Porny Bodies Lessig defines remix culture as based on an activity of “rip, mix and burn” (12–5); while Navas describes it as a “practice of cut/copy and paste” (159)—the latter being more applicable to photo remix. Whereas Lessig is concerned primarily with issues of copyright, Navas is interested in remix’s role in aesthetics and the political economy. Within fan studies, slash vids—a form of video remix—has been a topic of considerable academic interest in recent years. Slash manips—a form of photo or image remix—however, has not attracted the same degree of interest. Stasi’s description of slash as “a non-hierarchical, rich layering of genres” points to the usefulness of slash manips as an embodiment of the process of slash; whereby artists combine, blend and mutate graphic layers from popular media with those from gay pornography. Aesthetics and the slash manip process are central concerns of this article’s consideration of slash photo remix. Slash manips, or slash photo montage, use image manipulation software (Adobe Photoshop being the community standard, see wandsinhand’s tutorial) to layer the heads of male fictional characters from stills or promotional images with scenes—static or moving—from gay pornography. Once an artist has selected pornographic ‘base models’ anatomically suited to canon characters, these models are often then repositioned into the canon universe, which in the case of Merlin means a medieval setting. (Works not repositioned and without added details from canon are generally categorised as ‘male celebrity fakes’ rather than ‘slash manips’.) Stedman contends that while many fan studies scholars are interested in remix, “studies commonly focus on examples of remixed objects rather than the compositional strategies used by remix composers themselves” (107). He advocates moving beyond an exclusive consideration of “text-centred approaches” to also consider “practice-” and “composer-centred” approaches. Such approaches offer insight into “the detailed choices composers actually make when composing” (107). He refers to recognition of the skills required by a remix composer as “remix literacy” (108). This article’s consideration of the various choices and skills that go into the composition of slash manips—what I term the ‘semiotic significance of selection’—is explored with respect to wandsinhand’s practice, coupling my reading—informed by my experience as a practitioner—with the interpretations of the artist himself. Jenkins defines slash as “reaction against” constructions of male sexuality in both popular media and pornography (189). By their very nature, slash manips also make clear the oft-overlooked connections between slash and gay pornography, and in turn the contributions of gay male participants, who are well represented by the form. This contrasts with a tendency within scholarship to compare slash with heterosexual female forms, such as the romance genre (Salmon and Symons). Gay pornography plays a visible role in slash manips—and slash vids, which often remix scenes from popular media with gay cinema and pornography. Slash as Romance, Slash as Pornography Early scholarship on slash (see Russ; Lamb and Veith) defines it as a form of erotica or pornography, by and for women; a reductive definition that fails to take into account men’s contribution, yet one that many researchers continue to adopt today. As stated above, there has also been a tendency within scholarship to align the practice with heterosexual female forms such as the romance genre. Such a tendency is by and large due to theorisation of slash as heterosexual female fantasy—and concerned primarily with romance and intimacy rather than sex (see Woledge). Weinstein describes slash as more a “fascination with” than a “representation of” homosexual relationships (615); while MacDonald makes the point that homosexuality is not a major political motivator for slash (28–9). There is no refuting that slash—along with most fannish practice—is female dominated, ethnographic work and fandom surveys reveal that is the case. However there is great need for research into male production of slash, particularly how such practices might challenge reigning definitions and assumptions of the practice. In similar Japanese practices, for example, gay male opposition to girls’ comics (shōjo) depicting love between ‘pretty boys’ (bishōunen) has been well documented (see Hori)—Men’s Love (or bara) is a subgenre of Boys’ Love (or shōnen’ai) predominately created by gay men seeking a greater connection with the lived reality of gay life (Lunsing). Dennis finds male slash fanart producers more committed to muscular representations and depiction of graphic male/male sex when compared with female-identifying artists (14, 16). He also observes that male fanart artists have a tendency of “valuing same-sex desire without a heterosexual default and placing it within the context of realistic gay relationships” (11). I have observed similar differences between male and female-identifying slash manip artists. Female-identifying Nicci Mac, for example, will often add trousers to her donor bodies, recoding them for a more romantic context. By contrast, male-identifying mythagowood is known for digitally enlarging the penises and rectums of his base models, exaggerating his work’s connection to the pornographic and the macabre. Consider, for example, mythagowood’s rationale for digitally enlarging and importing ‘lips’ for Sam’s (Supernatural) rectum in his work Ass-milk: 2012, which marks the third anniversary of the original: Originally I wasn’t going to give Sammy’s cunt any treatment (before I determined the theme) but when assmilk became the theme I had to go find a good set of lips to slap on him and I figured, it’s been three years, his hole is going to be MUCH bigger. (personal correspondence, used with permission) While mythagowood himself cautions against gendered romance/pornography slash arguments—“I find it annoying that people attribute certain specific aspects of my work to something ‘only a man’ would make.” (ibid.)—gay pornography occupies an important place in the lives of gay men as a means for entertainment, community engagement and identity-construction (see McKee). As one of the only cultural representations available to gay men, Fejes argues that gay pornography plays a crucial role in defining gay male desire and identity. This is confirmed by an Internet survey conducted by Duggan and McCreary that finds 98% of gay participants reporting exposure to pornographic material in the 30-day period prior to the survey. Further, the underground nature of gay pornographic film (see Dyer) aligns it with slash as a subcultural practice. I now analyse two Merlin slash manips with respect to the sexual positions of the pornographic base models, illustrating how gay pornography genres and ideologies referenced through these works enforce their intended meaning, as defined by the artist. A sexual act such as bukkake, as wandsinhand astutely notes, acts as a universal sign and “automatically generates a narrative for the image without anything really needing to be detailed”. Barthes argues that such a “relation between thing signified and image signifying in analogical representation” is unlike language, which has a much more ‘arbitrary’ relationship between signifier and signified (272). Bukkake and the Assertion of Masculine Power in Merlin Merlin (2008–12) is a BBC reimagining of the Arthurian legend that focuses on the coming-of-age of Arthur and his close bond with his manservant Merlin, who keeps his magical identity secret until Arthur’s final stand in the iconic Battle of Camlann. The homosexual potential of Merlin and Arthur’s story—and of magic as a metaphor for homosexuality—is something slash fans were quick to recognise. During question time at the first Merlin cast appearance at the London MCM Expo in October 2008—just one month after the show’s pilot first aired—a fan asked Morgan and James, who portray Merlin and Arthur, is Merlin “meant to be a love story between Arthur and Merlin?” James nods in jest. Wandsinhand, who is most active in the Teen Wolf (2011–present) fandom, has produced two Merlin slash manips to date, a 2013 Merlin/Arthur and a 2012 Arthur/Percival, both untitled. The Merlin/Arthur manip (see Figure 1) depicts Merlin bound and on his knees, Arthur ejaculating across his face and on his chest. Merlin is naked while Arthur is partially clothed in chainmail and armour. They are both bruised and dirty, Arthur’s injuries suggesting battle given his overall appearance, while Merlin’s suggesting abuse, given his subordinate position. The setting appears to be the royal stables, where we know Merlin spends much of his time mucking out Arthur’s horses. I am left to wonder if perhaps Merlin did not carry out this duty to Arthur’s satisfaction, and is now being punished for it; or if Arthur has returned from battle in need of sexual gratification and the endorsement of power that comes from debasing his manservant. Figure 1: wandsinhand, Untitled (Merlin/Arthur), 2013, photo montage. Courtesy the artist. Both readings are supported by Arthur’s ‘spent’ expression of disinterest or mild curiosity, while Merlin’s face emotes pain: crying and squinting through the semen obscuring his vision. The artist confirms this reading in our interview: “Arthur is using his pet Merlin to relieve some stress; Merlin of course not being too pleased about the aftermath, but obedient all the same.” The noun ‘pet’ evokes the sexual connotations of Merlin’s role as Arthur’s personal manservant, while also demoting Merlin even further than usual. He is, in Arthur’s eyes, less than human, a sexual plaything to use and abuse at will. The artist’s statement also confirms that Arthur is acting against Merlin’s will. Violence is certainly represented here, the base models having been ‘marked up’ to depict sexualisation of an already physically and emotionally abusive relationship, their relative positioning and the importation of semen heightening the humiliation. Wandsinhand’s work engages characters in sadomasochistic play, with semen and urine frequently employed to degrade and arouse—“peen wolf”, a reference to watersports, is used within his Teen Wolf practice. The two wandsinhand works analysed in this present article come without words, thus lacking a “linguistic message” (Barthes 273–6). However even so, the artist’s statement and Arthur’s stance over “his pet Merlin” mean we are still able to “skim off” (270) the meanings the image contains. The base models, for example, invite comparison with the ‘gay bukkake’ genre of gay pornography—admittedly with a single dominant male rather than a group. Gay bukkake has become a popular niche in North American gay pornography—it originated in Japan as a male–female act in the 1980s. It describes a ritualistic sexual act where a group of dominant men—often identifying as heterosexual—fuck and debase a homosexual, submissive male, commonly bareback (Durkin et al. 600). The aggression on display in this act—much like the homosocial insistency of men who partake in a ‘circle jerk’ (Mosher 318)—enables the participating men to affirm their masculinity and dominance by degrading the gay male, who is there to service (often on his knees) and receive—in any orifice of the group’s choosing—the men’s semen, and often urine as well. The equivalencies I have made here are based on the ‘performance’ of the bukkake fantasy in gay niche hazing and gay-for-pay pornography genres. These genres are fuelled by antigay sentiment, aggression and debasement of effeminate males (see Kendall). I wish here to resist the temptation of labelling the acts described above as deviant. As is a common problem with anti-pornography arguments, to attempt to fix a practice such as bukkake as deviant and abject—by, for example, equating it to rape (Franklin 24)—is to negate a much more complex consideration of distinctions and ambiguities between force and consent; lived and fantasy; where pleasure is, where it is performed and where it is taken. I extend this desire not to label the manip in question, which by exploiting the masculine posturing of Arthur effectively sexualises canon debasement. This began with the pilot when Arthur says: “Tell me Merlin, do you know how to walk on your knees?” Of the imported imagery—semen, bruising, perspiration—the key signifier is Arthur’s armour which, while torn in places, still ensures the encoding of particular signifieds: masculinity, strength and power. Doggystyle and the Subversion of Arthur’s ‘Armoured Self’ Since the romanticism and chivalric tradition of the knight in shining armour (see Huizinga) men as armoured selves have become a stoic symbol of masculine power and the benchmark for aspirational masculinity. For the medieval knight, armour reflects in its shiny surface the mettle of the man enclosed, imparting a state of ‘bodilessness’ by containing any softness beneath its shielded exterior (Burns 140). Wandsinhand’s Arthur/Percival manip (see Figure 2) subverts Arthur and the symbolism of armour with the help of arguably the only man who can: Arthur’s largest knight Percival. While a minor character among the knights, Percival’s physical presence in the series looms large, and has endeared him to slash manip artists, particularly those with only a casual interest in the series, such as wandsinhand: Why Arthur and Percival were specifically chosen had really little to do with the show’s plot, and in point of fact, I don’t really follow Merlin that closely nor am I an avid fan. […] Choosing Arthur/Percival really was just a matter of taste rather than being contextually based on their characterisations in the television show. Figure 2: wandsinhand, Untitled (Arthur/Percival), 2012, photo montage. Courtesy the artist. Concerning motivation, the artist explains: “Sometimes one’s penis decides to pick the tv show Merlin, and specifically Arthur and Percival.” The popularity of Percival among manip artists illustrates the power of physicality as a visual sign, and the valorisation of size and muscle within the gay community (see Sánchez et al.). Having his armour modified to display his muscles, the implication is that Percival does not need armour, for his body is already hard, impenetrable. He is already suited up, simultaneously man and armoured. Wandsinhand uses the physicality of this character to strip Arthur of his symbolic, masculine power. The work depicts Arthur with a dishevelled expression, his armoured chest pressed against the ground, his chainmail hitched up at the back to expose his arse, Percival threading his unsheathed cock inside him, staring expressionless at the ‘viewer’. The artist explains he “was trying to show a shift of power”: I was also hinting at some sign of struggle, which is somewhat evident on Arthur’s face too. […] I think the expressions work in concert to suggest […] a power reversal that leaves Arthur on the bottom, a position he’s not entirely comfortable accepting. There is pleasure to be had in seeing the “cocky” Arthur forcefully penetrated, “cut down to size by a bigger man” (wandsinhand). The two assume the ‘doggystyle’ position, an impersonal sexual position, without eye contact and where the penetrator sets the rhythm and intensity of each thrust. Scholars have argued that the position is degrading to the passive party, who is dehumanised by the act, a ‘dog’ (Dworkin 27); and rapper Snoop ‘Doggy’ Dogg exploits the misogynistic connotations of the position on his record Doggystyle (see Armstrong). Wandsinhand is clear in his intent to depict forceful domination of Arthur. Struggle is signified through the addition of perspiration, a trademark device used by this artist to symbolise struggle. Domination in a sexual act involves the erasure of the wishes of the dominated partner (see Cowan and Dunn). To attune oneself to the pleasures of a sexual partner is to regard them as a subject. To ignore such pleasures is to degrade the other person. The artist’s choice of pairing embraces the physicality of the male/male bond and illustrates a tendency among manip producers to privilege conventional masculine identifiers—such as size and muscle—above symbolic, nonphysical identifiers, such as status and rank. It is worth noting that muscle is more readily available in the pornographic source material used in slash manips—muscularity being a recurrent component of gay pornography (see Duggan and McCreary). In my interview with manip artist simontheduck, he describes the difficulty he had sourcing a base image “that complimented the physicality of the [Merlin] characters. […] The actor that plays Merlin is fairly thin while Arthur is pretty built, it was difficult to find one. I even had to edit Merlin’s body down further in the end.” (personal correspondence, used with permission) As wandsinhand explains, “you’re basically limited by what’s available on the internet, and even then, only what you’re prepared to sift through or screencap yourself”. Wandsinhand’s Arthur/Percival pairing selection works in tandem with other artistic decisions and inclusions—sexual position, setting, expressions, effects (perspiration, lighting)—to ensure the intended reading of the work. Antithetical size and rank positions play out in the penetration/submission act of wandsinhand’s work, in which only the stronger of the two may come out ‘on top’. Percival subverts the symbolic power structures of prince/knight, asserting his physical, sexual dominance over the physically inferior Arthur. That such a construction of Percival is incongruent with the polite, impeded-by-my-size-and-muscle-density Percival of the series speaks to the circumstances of manip production, much of which is on a taste basis, as previously noted. There are of course exceptions to this, the Teen Wolf ‘Sterek’ (Stiles/Derek) pairing being wandsinhand’s, but even in this case, size tends to couple with penetration. Slash manips often privilege physicality of the characters in question—as well as the base models selected—above any particular canon-supported slash reading. (Of course, the ‘queering’ nature of slash practice means at times there is also a desire to see such identifiers subverted, however in this example, raw masculine power prevails.) This final point is in no way representative—my practice, for example, combines manips with ficlets to offer a clearer connection with canon, while LJ’s zdae69 integrates manips, fiction and comics. However, common across slash manip artists driven by taste—and requests—rather than connection with canon—the best known being LJ’s tw-31988, demon48180 and Tumblr’s lwoodsmalestarsfakes, all of whom work across many fandoms—is interest in the ‘aesthetics of canon’, the blue hues of Teen Wolf or the fluorescent greens of Arrow (2012–present), displayed in glossy magazine format using services such as ISSUU. In short, ‘the look’ of the work often takes precedent over canonical implications of any artistic decisions. “Nothing Too Serious”: Slash Manips as Objects Worth Studying It had long been believed that the popular was the transient, that of entertainment rather than enlightenment; that which is manufactured, “an appendage of the machinery”, consumed by the duped masses and a product not of culture but of a ‘culture industry’ (Adorno and Rabinbach 12). Scholars such as Radway, Ang pioneered a shift in scholarly practice, advancing the cultural studies project by challenging elitism and finding meaning in traditionally devalued cultural texts and practices. The most surprising outcome of my interviews with wandsinhand was hearing how he conceived of his practice, and the study of slash: If I knew I could get a PhD by writing a dissertation on Slash, I would probably drop out of my physics papers! […] I don’t really think too highly of faking/manip-making. I mean, it’s not like it’s high art, is it? … or is it? I guess if Duchamp’s toilet can be a masterpiece, then so can anything. But I mainly just do it to pass the time, materialise fantasies, and disperse my fantasies unto others. Nothing too serious. Wandsinhand erects various binaries—academic/fan, important/trivial, science/arts, high art/low art, profession/hobby, reality/fantasy, serious/frivolous—as justification to devalue his own artistic practice. Yet embracing the amateur, personal nature of his practice frees him to “materialise fantasies” that would perhaps not be possible without self-imposed, underground production. This is certainly supported by his body of work, which plays with taboos of the unseen, of bodily fluids and sadomasochism. My intention with this article is not to contravene views such as wandsinhand’s. Rather, it is to promote slash manips as a form of remix culture that encourages new perspectives on how slash has been defined, its connection with male producers and its symbiotic relationship with gay pornography. I have examined the ‘semiotic significance of selection’ that creates meaning in two contrary slash manips; how these works actualise and resist canon dominance, as it relates to the physical and the symbolic. This examination also offers insight into this form’s connection to and negotiation with certain ideologies of gay pornography, such as the valorisation of size and muscle. 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